John j



(No Model.)

J. J. PEETZ.

RAILROAD SWITGH. No. 378,213. Patelgted Feb. 21, 1888. [I :1

WITNESSES i INVENTOR: V

- ATTORNEYS.

wire ST TE PATENT i ric JOHIX J. PEETZ, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AXD EDXVARD J. 'BIERING, OF SAME PLACE.

RAlLROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,213, dated February 21, 1888. Application filed March 18, 1887. Serial No. 231,403. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN J. PEETZ, of Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved BailroadSwitch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to railroad-switches,

and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, efficient, and safe switch adapted for operation by trip-bars on a locomotive engine or car to open or close the switch, and without injury to the rails or actuating mechanism of the switch or danger of derailing the cars. The invent-ion consists in a certain novel feature of construction and combinations of parts of the railroad-switch, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

efercnce is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved railroad-switch. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line a as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 31y, Fig. 1, with an end or front view of the engine-pilot, and illustrates how the switch is operated therefrom; and Fig. at is a detail side view of the pilot, showing one arrangement of tripping devices thereon for operating the switch.

The main-line rails A B of the track are cut away to give room for the switch-rails G C, which are pivoted at c c at one end, and at or near their other ends are connected at (Z (Z to a crossbar, D, fitted to slide transversely of the track. A lover, E, which is pivoted about at its center at e to a support on the road-bed, is provided with an arm, F, having a slot,f, through which a pin, cl, on the crossbar D passes, and the opposite ends of this lever are connected pivot-ally by links G H with latchbars I J, which are connected pivotally at one end with the opposite switch-rails, G C, and are adapted by their other ends,i j, to lock against stop-lugs K L, fixed to one of the ties or a timber on the road-bechfor holding the switch open or closed, as presently explained. Rails A B form with the switch-rails O O,

when the latter are adjusted as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the turnout or siding track.

To the lever E there are pivoted at in a, respectively, at opposite sides of the lever-fulcrum e, a couple of rods, M N, which are connected pivotally at m a to a curved lever, O, at opposite sides of its pivot or fulcrum 0, and the opposite ends, 0 0, of the lever 0 are adapted to be struck by trip-bars on the en gine-pilot,when the train is moving in the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1, for setting the switch, as hereinafter described. Long rods S T, which are pivoted at m a, respectively, to the lever E, are pivoted at s t at their other ends to trip levers or platcsU V, adapted, respectively, for operation by tripbars carried by engine-pilots of trains moving on the mainline rails A B toward the switch in direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1, and on the side track rails A B, moving toward the switchrails in the direction of the arrow 3- in the drawings.

The trip bars WV X are fitted for vertical movement at opposite sides oft-he engine-pilot, (shown in part at Y in Figs. 3 and 4 ofthe d rawings.) Each of these trip-bars slides through bearings at w 'w on brackets 10, held to the pilot floor or frame, and a spring, w acting between the lower bearing and a collar on each trip-bar normally forces the bar up clear of the lever O, U, or V, and in which position it will not act to shift the switch. The trip-bars XV X may be lowered to strike the levers O, U, or V either by means of a trcadle-levcr, Z, connected to a rock-lever, e, pivoted to the bearing in and connected to the trip-bar,or by means of a piston working in a cylinder, Z, to which steam will be admitted by the engineer. Crossed bars or rods 10 may he used to brace the lower ends of the trip-bar bearings to the floor or frame of the enginepilot.

The operation of the switch is as follows: We will suppose a train is approaching the switch on the main line in direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the switch connects the main-line with the siding rails A B, the switch-rails G G then being locked in position by the engagement of the end iof the latch-bar I with the log K. Should the engineer wish to run his train onto the siding,

B after the end of the slotf strikes the pin (1 will shift the bar D endwise and swing the rails O G into line with the rails A B, and as the switch-rails take these positions the end 5 j of the latch-bar J will lock behind the stud L to hold the switch-rails in place for a continuous main-linetrack. If the switch is in line with the main rails and a train approach ing in direction of the arrow 1 is to take the siding, the engineer will lower the left-hand trip-bar X, which will strike the end 0 of lever 0, and first unlock the bar J from the stud L, and then throw the switch-rails open and lock them for the siding by the bar I, or as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As a train approaches the switch on the main line from the opposite direction, or that of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1, the engineer may always lower the left-hand trip-bar, X, to strike the lever U for assuring the alignment of the switch-rails to the mainline, and should the switch be already .so positioned the lowered trip-bar woulcl "simply pass by the lever U without operating'it. Should a train be approaching the main line from the side track, A B, in direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1, the engineer will lower the trip-bar X, which will strike the lever V and set the switch-rails C C over to the sidingrails to allow the train to pass safely onto the main-line tracks A B. The levers 0 UV will be set a sufficient distance from the switchrails to'give ample time for the rails to be thrown and locked before the wheels of the engine strike them, as will readily be understood.

The trip-bar device may be adj ustedto the cars of a train for operating the switch, as well as on the engine-pilotas, for instance, the lever Z or an equivalent treadle or lever may be fitted on freight-cars, allowing a trainman on the car to set the trip-bar and'shift the switch-rails for opening the main line to a side track when cars are to be run onto the main track from the side track.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, inarailroad-switch and with the main-line rails A B and siding-rails A B, of pivoted switch-rails O O, a bar, D,

ment ng them. a l vee E; in rested to the roadrbed and having an arm, F, slottedatf, a pin, d, passed through said slot into the bar D, latch-bars I J, pivoted to the switch-rails, links G H, connecting the bars I J with the lever E,and lugs LK on the road-bed, against which the bars I J are adapted to lock to hold the switch open and closed, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a railroad-switch and with the main-line rails A B and siding-rails A B, of pivoted switch-rails G G, a bar, D, connecting them, a lever, E, fulerumed to the road-bed and having an arm, F, slotted at f, a pin, 9, passed th rough said slot into the bar D, latch-barsI J, pivoted to the switch-rails, links G H, connecting the bars I J with the lever E, lugs K L on the road-bed, against which the bars I J are adapted. to look, a lever, O, fulcrnmed to the road-bed, and rods M N, conmeeting the levers E O, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a railroadswitch, of main-line rails A B, siding-rails AB, pivoted switch -rails O O, a bar, D, connecting the switch-rails, a lever, E, fulcrumed on the road bed and having an arm, F, slotted atf, a pin, d, passed through said slot into the bar D, latch-bars I J, pivoted to the switch-rails,

links G H, connecting the bars I J with the (1, passed through said slot into the bar D,

latch-bars I J, pivoted to the switch-rails, links G H, connecting the barsI J with the lever E,

lugs K L on the roadside, against which the.

bars I J may look, a lever, V, fulcrumed to the road-bed at the siding-rails, and a rod, T, connecting the levers E V, substantially as shown and described.

5. A trip-bar device carried by an engine or JOHN- J. PEETZ.

lVitnesses:

R. T. BYRNE, J AMES W. CoLLINs. 

